Summary:
The “Veterans Hearing Health Expansion Act” (HR 3088), introduced by Rep. Tom Barrett, seeks to expand veterans’ access to hearing care by including hearing aid specialists in the VA’s Community Care program.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Legislative Aim: The bill would amend the VA Mission Act to officially recognize hearing aid specialists as eligible providers in VA Community Care.
  2. Veteran Impact: The proposal aims to reduce wait times and barriers to hearing health services, especially benefiting rural veterans.
  3. Industry Support: The International Hearing Society strongly backs the bill, emphasizing its potential to improve care and provider access for veterans after years of advocacy.

The “Veterans Hearing Health Expansion Act” (HR 3088) was introduced on April 30, 2025, by Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI). The legislation would amend the VA Mission Act of 2018 to specify hearing aid specialists as providers within the Community Care program run by the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. 

IHS members meet with the sponsor of a bill to recognize hearing aid specialists as providers within the VA Community Care program.
From left to right: Clell Hamm, BA, BC-HIS; IHS President Michael Andreozzi, BS, BC-HIS; Representative Tom Barrett (R-MI); IHS President-Elect Leanne Polhill, BA, BC-HIS; David Kimbel, BC-HIS; and Nicholas Gray, BC-HIS; in Washington, D.C., on April 30. Photo: IHS

Barrett emphasized the bill’s importance, stating, “Veterans deserve timely, high-quality healthcare no matter where they live. Expanding the VA’s Community Care program to include Hearing Aid Specialists when it already covers other specialists is a commonsense way to achieve that goal. This bill is a simple fix that will make a big difference, especially for rural veterans, by giving them more options and less red tape when it comes to maintaining their hearing health.” 

Big Changes in Hearing Care: An Interview with Michael Andreozzi

The International Hearing Society (IHS) has voiced strong support for the bill. IHS Executive Director Alissa Parady, CAE, stated in a press release, “Ensuring our membership can serve veteran patients as integrated VA providers is a high priority and this legislation goes far to address that objective. It’s been more than a decade that IHS has been appealing to the VA to authorize Hearing Aid Specialists to help as community-based VA providers, and to date, the VA has continued to sit on this opportunity to utilize Hearing Aid Specialists to better deliver care to veterans.”  

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